Red Light: Inside the Sex Industry

by James Ridgeway, Sylvia Plachy (Photographer)

A writer/photographer team from The Village Voice offers a glimpse inside the lives of women and men engaged in many aspects of the sex industry in the New York metropolitan area. With sections on the business of sex, porn films, phone sex and cybersex, gender bending, go-go dancing, massage parlors, and occupational hazards, there is something for everyone. Most fascinating are the voices of the sex workers on their experiences, their jobs, and their motivations. B&w photos are not explicit, but the text is. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Sexuality, Pornography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1996

Reviews

[Paulette Illmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting, but very outdated, especially the parts about the internet. I suppose it was much more relevant in its day (early 90's), although the basics seemed to hold true.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostagic trip down red light memory lane. Plachy's Cartier-Bresson/Weegee wannabe photos contribute nothing other than to up the price of the book.

[Jim Butler · Rating 2 out of 5]

This again supports my reluctant admission that the cliche is true: porn really can be boring. Still the Plachy photos are good if obvious, and the text may have some value as research, so I'll keep it. It wouldn't be the first time I've made a too-hasty judgement.

[Caryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating, if not terribly in depth, expose about the sex industry. It has graphic photos though, so beware. Also, some freaky stuff I hadn't heard of before-and I'm not so innocent.